The Perks of Being A Superhero
by Girly 411
Summary: Their relationship is a romance–more than just an epicbromance–and has been since the day they met. There has always been that energy between them. They are completely comfortable with each other. They are each other's happily ever after. Their progression from friendship to being in love with each other was so seamless and natural that the casual bystander wouldn't be able to tell


**The Perks of Being A Superhero**

 **Summary:** Their relationship is a romance – more than just an epic bromance – and has been since the day they met. There has always been that energy between them. They are completely comfortable with each other. They are each other's happily ever after. Their progression from friendship to being in love with each other was so seamless and natural that the casual bystander wouldn't be able to tell.

 **(A/N) Some of this spawned from prompts and as for the rest of it, I kind of just shoved a bunch of ideas and thoughts from my own head together and this monster was born. I'm sorry. I just really wanted to write something for this show because there's a lot of great material to work with, and the fandom is so wonderful and I want to actually contribute something to this one.**

 **Um… That being said, I will probably end up writing a lot more for this fandom because A) I can't resist the temptation to indulge in magical boys, B) if I don't preoccupy myself with writing something that isn't college-related I'll slowly and maddeningly lose my mind (this sadly isn't an exaggeration), and C) there are a lot of ships that I want to see more of here and I may as well be the one to kickstart some of the ones that haven't been played with yet. Also, I have a lot of ideas – a notebook full of them – and I keep seeing prompts that catch my eye. So… that should be fun. Fingers crossed the fandom doesn't die before I get around to it, considering how slow I am at producing completed stories.**

 **So, here, my magical lovelies… The fic that never seemed to bloody end. Have some IoRyuu… and whatever the heck else ended up finding its way into this monstrosity. It wasn't supposed to be like this. It took me somewhere over a month to write and I finished it in between bouts of vertigo, so here's hoping it's worth its salt… I'm not sure when this takes place, but it's sometime before the finale and sometime after the events of episode 9.**

"Hey, Io," Ryuu suddenly broke the room's technology-induced silence from where he had sprawled out on his back along the foot of Io's bed, dropping his phone to his chest in thought, "You ever wonder about Wombat's English?"

Io's eyes hardly paused in their scanning of the laptop screen before them. Trust Ryuu to think of a question like that. In the recent few weeks of finding themselves in their bizarre magical predicament, most of what the strange pink space marsupial said or did made little to no sense logically, which made it easy and perhaps preferable to overlook that fact in favor of more important matters requiring their attention. So, Wombat's spontaneous English wasn't something anyone had really thought to consider seriously. It was just the crudely strung-together ravings of an inexperienced speaker.

"I try not to think about it," Io answered stoically.

There had been that one time at the beginning when they'd openly mocked the _Battle Lovers_ name, but after that, there had been no reason to make a big deal over it. Ryuu must have been bored.

"I mean, it's weird because he's supposed to have some kind of high-performance automatic translator, but he was also pretty defensive of the effort he put into it – you know – for someone who gets his kicks by forcing teenagers to cosplay heroes," the magenta-haired boy added as if this was a normal topic of discussion for them, but by this point, everyone in their circle of friends could safely suppose it was, "If he loves English so much, it would have made more sense for him to land somewhere with native speakers, right?" He lifted his arms and casually folded his hands behind his head, casting a curious sideways glance at his friend who seemed persistently glued to his computer.

"Maybe he thinks our accents are cute," Ryuu suggested playfully, hoping to at least draw Io away from his work long enough to talk.

But Io didn't budge. He understood the point that Ryuu was trying to make, however convoluted it was. Obviously, the gratuitous English was a weird alien trademark or perhaps a tactic meant to prevent them from thinking too hard about what Wombat was actually making them do. Io sighed, staring in blank consternation at the facts and figures he had dedicated his life to. All of which were profoundly more intriguing than this particular line of conversation. However, Ryuu wouldn't have started in on it if he wasn't leading up to something.

"Considering that the enemy we're fighting is situated here, I don't think that had much to do with it," Io pointed out, making a deliberate effort to remain impassive. Although it could be possible that Wombat liked the way they talked, it would be unrealistic to assume that he had chosen them strictly for the aesthetic pleasure of listening to them protest his ambiguous moral alignment and the sheer absurdity of the tasks he assigned them.

"True…" Ryuu conceded with a thoughtful pout. He rolled onto his side, picking up the phone from where it slid off his chest onto the mattress, and propped himself up on his elbow, comfortably cradling his head in his hand, so he could look at Io more directly. "The point is it's intentional," he continued his tangent, undeterred by Io's lack of enthusiasm, "Wombat really likes English."

Io wanted to explain that Ryuu hadn't exactly accomplished more than stating the obvious, but opted to wait for Ryuu to make whatever point he was building up to.

"So, I was bored" – that much was apparent – "and I started thinking about what it meant. Everything else Wombat has us say seems really random and _we_ can understand it, but then I remembered our conversation about how words have different meanings in English than how we understand them" – this finally broke the hold Io's financial portfolio had on his gaze – "so I looked them up to see if they made anymore sense."

Ryuu was scrolling through the information he'd found on his phone while Io watched him curiously. Could Ryuu have uncovered some significant detail that he had missed? Sure, from the day they had been forcibly saddled with this ridiculous mantle, Io had wanted to ignore that new part of his life in favor of just as forcibly escaping it. Obviously, to no avail. But was it possible that Wombat had been clever enough to hide the answer in plain sight? It hadn't ever occurred to him to analyze the speech pattern for clues to his possible release. Maybe he should have brought Wombat to the research facilities to study _him_ instead of just the lovracelet that had been so thoughtlessly delivered unto him, but that seemed a bit excessive and he'd never get Wombat into the building anyway. At this point, maybe he was grasping at straws, but he gave this matter his undivided attention just in case. Plus, it was rather impressive that Ryuu had taken the initiative to research the English words on his own in the first place.

Ryuu suddenly looked more confident when he realized Io was listening and he smiled in amusement at his phone. " _Love Making_ , _love sticks_ , _Love Shower_ …" he recited the words as if they were a joke, "It's a euphemism."

Io blinked. That certainly wasn't what he had expected to hear. Still, he felt that Ryuu must have misspoke.

"This whole thing is a big innuendo."

Oh. These were crushing words Io wasn't quite sure what to do with.

When Ryuu looked up, he was met with Io's blank stare and he couldn't help but notice that his friend appeared to be battling some kind of inner conflict. Sitting up quickly, the magenta-haired boy crawled over to his friend and sidled up next to him to show him the phone.

"Here," he offered, holding the device so Io could see. He knew Io was bothered by their Battle Lovers gig more than he, himself, was; but if he could make Io laugh about it or at least smile, maybe Io wouldn't feel quite as bad.

Io scrutinized the information he'd been presented with, hoping to find deeper meaning in it.

 _Love Making_ was a term for passionate sex – there wasn't much more to say about it than that.

 _Love stick_ pertained perhaps a little crudely to the male body. Of course, Ryuu's childish sense of humor would find such a phallic interpretation funny.

And then _Love Shower_ was…

Io felt himself blush unexpectedly. Although in the same vein, that went a bit farther into the gutter, but it was probably a gentler – if not more disturbing – way to describe that _particular_ bodily function.

How did Ryuu even discover this? He had said it once and he'd say it again: English was an undignified language. These words he was forced to say and the title he was burdened to wear – it was basically all a dick joke. Unsurprisingly, this knowledge _didn't_ make Io feel any better about it. Although he didn't usually believe in such things, he felt like someone (or thing) out there was laughing at him.

"I don't think Wombat realizes how bad his English is," Ryuu remarked with a grin that was too bright for the subject matter, "Think about it. Like Wombat said… The lovracelets hurt us until we _do the Love Making_ and combine our _love sticks_ to perform a _Love Shower_."

Oh, but Io _had_ been thinking about it in light of this new information and he was astronomically unimpressed. This discovery couldn't be farther from useful to him or his understanding of their predicament, but it did make him question Wombat's conclusions about the particular kind of love he fancied in humans.

"There's no way he could be that bad on purpose," Ryuu was saying in that superior way of his when he was making fun of something, "I mean, what is this – a BL story?"

His teasing laugh was cut short when Io creased his brow at the mention and Ryuu was suddenly hit with a level of self-awareness that he was certain they were never meant to achieve as costumed superheroes.

"Battle… Lovers…" he mouthed in surprise.

He was quiet for a moment, hands twitching nervously around his phone in his lap. From an outside point of view, this would be as hilarious as he thought it to be a moment ago, but being as close to it as he was, he felt somehow more uncomfortable with this new level of consciousness. There were simply some things that were never meant to be researched on the internet, it seemed.

"In any case," Io spoke, doing his best this time not to sound grim for Ryuu's sake, "There seem to be a lot of inconsistencies with Wombat's highly advanced technology. The lovracelets don't hurt us once we transform and they never shocked us like that until that one occasion." His lovracelet hadn't continued to hurt him when he'd left either, for that matter. "So, Wombat was clearly just trying to motivate us that time," he pointed out, returning his attention to his laptop to avoid further discussion on the matter, "I wouldn't take much of what he says very seriously."

Ryuu smiled one of his usual airy grins. "You're right," he conceded, settling comfortably into Io's side to resume his regular activities, "It's probably just a hilarious coincidence." He sounded confident, but Io knew Ryuu well enough to tell that he was trying to reassure himself of that fact.

Io nodded distractedly. "Of course, I'm right."

But maybe he was trying to convince himself of that, too. Not about Wombat. He was certain that the creature with the heart on its ass was nothing more than some kind of (mostly) harmless but not too funny joke – just like his personality. But, rather, about his own choices… Everything about the Battle Lovers had made him want to leave from the start – he certainly did not enjoy being used like a puppet – and he almost had at the first opportunity.

He could have made a fine profit if he had signed on to the Student Council, but there was always one reason he never could join their ranks. And it had nothing to do with "saving the world with the power of love". It's not like the job came with a paycheck. Besides, the Defense Club had no club resources, constantly paid for the baths, and already went on two trips. The only time they'd ever made money was from the Press Society's calendar scheme, which was put forth into their trip to the summit of Mt. Binan. And although Io had researched the best deals, the beach trip had been its own disaster.

Financially, there had never been much to gain from the club unless one counted the extra time it gave Io to manage his stocks and growing side business in a relatively stress-free zone while still getting school credit for club activities. But that had never been his motivation for joining the club anyway even before it had become an official school-recognized one.

"You know, being a superhero isn't all bad," Ryuu interrupted Io's running thoughts as if he'd known what was on his frugal companion's mind or perhaps he was still just trying to look on the bright side for his own sake, "There are definitely perks."

Io quickly resigned himself to the fact that neither of them were going to be able to focus on their individual affairs while this topic still troubled them – and there was a saying about discussion being a resolver of situations – so he might as well let Ryuu talk.

"And how do you figure that?" he prompted because, if there _were_ such perks, he had yet to see any.

Ryuu looked over at him as he considered his answer. "Well, we have fans who love us," he reminded his friend, who was side-eyeing him carefully.

"Does that really have anything to do with it?" Io pointed out.

Their supposed fanbase had little relation to their Battle Lover identities, if the Press Society was to be believed. After all, in spite of the suspicious questioning they'd been subjected to for that article, no one knew that the Defense Club was the group of costumed vigilantes running around the school. Even if the outlandish costumes did attract their own kind of attention.

Ryuu waved it off. "It shows," he argued as if that settled it, "Sure, it's weird and fighting monsters is annoying, but it's kind of a confidence booster and that's something that people notice. Like normally life is just okay, but now people see us as glowing with purpose or something. Even you have been looking better since this whole thing started."

Io didn't know about purpose – he didn't see himself fighting monsters forever and certainly not for the sake of it – but he had been particularly concerned with Ryuu's tendency to fall into harm's way, which he supposed had increased his resolve to fight more than anything else had. That had always been a weakness of his. He was usually mild-mannered, but if anything would awaken vengeance in him, it was someone messing with his money or someone messing with Ryuu. But that still didn't mean he enjoyed fighting for Wombat's cause or that he got anything particularly rewarding out of it… unless he counted the reassurance that Ryuu had someone at his back who Io trusted to protect him. It wasn't as if Io didn't know that the rest of their friends would do their best to keep Ryuu out of serious danger, but they had stood by and watched while Ryuu had been manhandled in an undignified manner. Io wouldn't risk that happening again. And he didn't think he looked noticeably "better" than usual for having that resolve, so he really didn't understand where Ryuu was getting that idea from.

"Do you really think it's fair to compare yourself to the rest of us like that?" Io teased him. Maybe Ryuu thrived on that kind of attention, but Io couldn't say the same for himself and the others seemed unaffected to him as well. Except for Yumoto, but their kohai was always like that, so it could hardly be considered a "change".

"What?" Ryuu blinked at him in surprise as he tried to find Io's meaning. "You don't think you look good?"

"No, it's not that," the green-haired teen spoke contemplatively as he dropped his gaze back to his laptop, "But I'm not sure I particularly glow with purpose or anything quite like that."

Oh! That made more sense. Ryuu chuckled light-heartedly, his momentary confusion clearing up, and his face lit up immediately. "Of course you do! You're not as closed off as you were several months ago. And anyway, confidence is sexy!" he declared as if he were some kind of authority on the matter and, in a way, Io supposed he was, "How do you think I get so many women?"

Io grinned coyly back at Ryuu's broad smile and tilted his head slightly in inquiry. "I always thought you begged until they said yes," the teasing tone in his voice returned, causing Ryuu's eyes to widen and his mouth to fall into a little 'o' at the unexpected remark.

"Io…" The resigned self-depreciation his tone and smile had adopted was somehow endearing to Io. "That's really mean of you to say."

Io chuckled in amusement.

A fond moment passed between them before Ryuu recovered himself enough to continue his previous thought. "Anyway, I was pretty popular before all this started, but you have to admit this Battle Lover thing has made us all even more popular."

The hotshot attitude Ryuu was known for surfaced again with that statement, but upon being reminded of their alter-egos, Io found himself feeling much less enthusiastic. He supposed he saw his friend's point. The Press Society had assisted in making the Defense Club a public success and their monster-fighting had certainly garnered the school's attention.

"But with what demographic?" Io countered. Those online comments the Press Society had shown them had seemed noticeably geared towards their individual attractiveness and it made him wonder.

Ryuu shrugged noncommittally. "Does it really matter where the popularity comes from?"

Maybe Ryuu was right. For someone who enjoyed being a public figure, the cost of participating in this farce wasn't so great. But it wasn't like Io could put this on his résumé. It didn't mean the same thing to him that it did to Ryuu.

Regardless of what Ryuu said, Io still couldn't help but feel as though the product wasn't worth the going price. For one thing, it was robbing him of control over himself and, subsequently, his choices… and that was something that disturbed him down to his very core. At least their senpais had been approached by Wombat beforehand about all of this. He had simply been cursed with this ridiculous power because he'd been in the clubroom at the time. He hadn't even been _asked_ like they had. Not that he blamed them. This was something none of them had expected and Wombat had clearly never intended to take their wishes into consideration in the first place, so asking had only ever been a formality.

Still… he would have liked having the option to say yes without it being chosen for him. But then again… would ensnaring them with the illusion of freedom have been any kinder? He didn't really have an answer for that.

A gentle but insistent tug at his arm dragged Io back from his ponderings, and he instinctively lifted it so Ryuu could slip underneath and settle comfortably into his side. Tentatively, Io dropped his hand to rest against Ryuu's waist, soft magenta hair tickling Io's neck as Ryuu nestled his head against Io's shoulder. Wordlessly, they relaxed into each other and picked up where they'd left off on their electronic devices.

This wasn't unusual behavior for them. With Ryuu snuggled up against his right side, Io had gotten rather adept at left-handed typing. Ryuu was actually quite fond of cuddling together like this and, in truth, Io liked it, too. He liked the feeling of being close to Ryuu, of having his warm presence beside him like an anchor keeping him in place. And he had an idea that Ryuu liked it partly because the sentimental side of him treasured the contact and partly because it made him feel not so alone in the silence.

It wasn't like their silences were uncomfortable and they had never really required words to communicate, but Ryuu always gravitated towards the warmth of other people. It was one of the many traits of Ryuu's personality that Io loved. Ryuu's essence was an amalgamation of things Io wasn't – free-spirited, untamable, rash, arrogant, shameless, flirtatious, spitfire, hot-headed, unapologetically narcissistic, a social butterfly capable of making everyone he smiled at feel important. Ryuu was all of that and so much more, and the two of them balanced each other's traits, filling in for what the other was missing, until they functioned as one synchronized unit. They were capable of getting by on their own, but they worked better when they were together. They read each other so well and easily fell into place side by side.

It was something Io was grateful for because, when it came to matters outside of finance, breaking down communication barriers took a great deal of effort. He had never been the best at things like socializing or making friends. Numbers were easier to understand – constant, unchanging, calculable. But Ryuu came along and had made it seem so effortless. His passion and his people skills, his blatant disregard for money, and his genuine interest in the people he surrounded himself with had pulled Io in before he'd had the opportunity to build up any defenses against the magenta-haired socialite. And although Io could never be so frivolous, he had learned a lot about people and friendship from Ryuu.

Ryuu was the best investment Io ever made and continued to turn out a profit far greater than any in his bank accounts. Even in matters as basic as physical affection, Ryuu understood him. Io wasn't much of a physical guy, but Ryuu always understood what he needed and, in return, Io always knew how much to give. In fact, Ryuu always initiated their cuddling sessions. Sometimes, he would say it was because he was cold. Other times, he wouldn't say anything at all and simply leaned into Io in a silent request for contact. Io had figured out that Ryuu liked to be held, but he had also realized that Ryuu was reading him as well. Ryuu always asked because he knew that Io never would. Sure, Ryuu was currently curled up against Io's side because their conversation had worried him, but they both had troubled minds in need of comforting and Ryuu's touch had been enough to indicate that Ryuu was aware. The brown-eyed spitfire never demanded too much of him, but if it really came down to it, Io would give it anyway. Because Ryuu was undeniably worth it and Io had yet to be proven wrong about that assessment.

Ryuu casually regarded the social media page on his phone as he felt Io's attention slip back to the comfort of the financial world. Io was the only person Ryuu knew who could look completely at peace when submerged up to his ears in numbers, facts, and figures that would make any normal person's brain hurt. It was actually rather beautiful watching him work when he got like that and, despite what might be said about the self-proclaimed Casanova, Ryuu _did_ have a healthy appreciation for aesthetics. And no one would refute the fact that Io was quite charming to look at. Especially when he was calmly absorbed in something he was so passionate about. At least, in Ryuu's opinion. The gears were always turning in Io's head, making him look distinguished, so it was pretty nice to see him get lost in something he enjoyed.

Ryuu nuzzled comfortably against his friend, thinking back to the first time they'd done this. Ryuu had been tired after a particularly exhausting school day and it was then that he had discovered that Io's broad shoulders made comfortable pillows. Thankfully, Io had never minded Ryuu's tendency to creep into his personal space, so he let Ryuu keep using him as a cushion without complaint. The two of them were always comfortable with each other, which was how Ryuu had ended up letting Io see him at his most vulnerable and how simply leaning on each other had graduated to actual cuddling.

Ryuu didn't want to remember the incident that had caused him so much distress, but he remembered all too clearly the feelings of inadequacy and the paralyzing sting of utter loneliness that it had dragged out of the corner of his mind where he'd tried to suppress them. It had filled his head with every doubt and criticism he'd ever had about himself, cut right through all of his defenses, and utterly shattered the shell of brazen confidence he'd worked so hard to build up and maintain.

Compared to other people – compared to others _his age_ – he had accomplished nothing important, nothing significant. Io always got top marks; Ryuu couldn't make average scores. Io was independently wealthy; Ryuu was a ladies' man. Even against Gero, all Ryuu had was his looks and his reputation. Who could ever want someone like Ryuu if they knew just how inconsequential he really was? He'd thought even Io would eventually figure it out and drop him like a sack of bricks – only, bricks were worth more because you could build houses and walls and other useful things with them – before wasting another minute on someone whose time proved non-profitable. Io was surely smart enough to realize that sooner or later.

But one look at Ryuu's wrecked face accompanied by the sound of his shaky voice and Io had been there to hold him, protecting him like Io always did, while he clung sobbing into Io's shirt.

Ryuu felt warm and safe in Io's arms… and maybe even loved… well, certainly cared for. He could admit that to himself. Anyone who claimed that Io was emotionally distant clearly didn't know him. That day, Io had spent an unfairly long amount of time making sure Ryuu felt secure and confident again, explaining to Ryuu that his achievements lied overwhelmingly in other people's happiness and all that added up to something invaluable. Ryuu had a gift, Io had claimed, a natural talent that Io had the pleasure of basking in every day. He'd said Ryuu had no idea of how much that increased Io's productivity and how much Io was grateful for it because he'd never quite had the aptitude for such an ability, himself. But Ryuu thought Io had more of it than he realized because hearing Io's words had made Ryuu infinitely happier.

It was there in Io's arms, listening to Io's words and the sound of his steady heartbeat in his chest, that Ryuu had figured out how important they both were to each other. A friendship he had thought had happened by chance was something more like destiny. They were always meant to have this connection. In a way, they completed and brought out the best in each other. After that incident, cuddling became something they occasionally did whenever the situation called for it – not like Yumoto's strange compulsion, but rather a mutually beneficial arrangement.

When Ryuu thought about it, he couldn't help but stare blankly in awe of the idea that Io placed so much value in him. Considering recent events, there had to be better opportunities out there for his financial guru of a friend. It wasn't like Ryuu wasn't proud – and he kept coming back to this – but even Gero would seemingly be the more profitable choice for Io, but somehow Io chose him over his financial crush. Up until the point where the Student Council very nearly dropped a bomb on them, Ryuu had compensated for his small worries with his unapologetically shameless narcissism and self-confidence, shoving his insecurities down because Io had reminded him that he was special, too. But Io's decision to leave the club had brought it all up again and Ryuu had acted rashly until Io came back to him, choosing him over potential increase in profit and telling Ryuu in that way of his that Ryuu was priceless to him. Worth more than the reputation that would come from such an esteemed position, the opportunities it would open up for Io along the line, and the promised paycheck for his commitment.

Ryuu would probably be the first to admit that he had problems expressing his feelings because of his hidden insecurity. Sure, he was honest with people to a point, but he couldn't help worrying that, if he expressed how he really felt, he'd scare people off or they'd decide he wasn't good enough for them. So, he tried hard to only seem cool and confident, and as a rule, he kept his relationships where he was comfortable and knew how to handle them. It was unsettling not knowing where he stood with someone else. There was a reason he had developed the defensive habit of breaking up with girls the moment someone else stood between them. At least, that way, he was letting them go to pursue other interests instead of waiting for them to reject him. It was the kind thing to do for their happiness and his own, and it gave him a sense that he had a handle on his relationships because romance was something he was good at and he knew how to perfect it.

So, when Io left, Ryuu's greatest fear had started to come true. He'd thought he'd known where he stood with Io, but that moment had made him question everything, so he'd tried to cut Io out of his life completely before he entirely lost it. All those buried feelings had exploded right back into the forefront of his mind – betrayal, isolating loneliness, inadequacy, crippling fear of having been misled and too presumptuous to think he was _actually_ important enough for someone to stick around for. That's why Io's return had meant so much to him. He'd really tried to be mad at Io through the overwhelming relief, but Io called him priceless and Ryuu couldn't be mad at that when his best friend had practically admitted that he was more important than money and potential business venture.

And when Ryuu realized the full weight of that and the implications that could follow, he started getting closer to Io just to further tease him with little touches, a few suggestive glances, and some carefully worded comments here and there whenever he could squeeze them in. In a way, it did boost Ryuu's confidence, so he teased Io about it because he liked being reminded of how important he was, especially to Io. And Io looked cute when he blushed. But despite all that, Ryuu still had trouble telling Io exactly how he felt. He knew he liked Io… a lot… and he knew that Io was the most important person to him and he would never be able to date a girl who didn't approve of Io or his relationship with Io, but whenever it came up in conversation, he panicked.

In hindsight, Kinugawa-senpai had probably just been teasing him that time as a bit of payback for his earlier comment and even Ryuu could tell that his own retort had sounded more like a little kid denying his crush on the playground, but it wasn't _his_ fault that he was afraid of his own feelings. Instead of laughing it off or making a witty comeback, he had insisted that Io was his buddy and that it "wasn't like that"… partially because he really wasn't sure what to call it. They were best friends, but they were also something more than that, but they hadn't done anything more than what such close friends would be comfortable doing. It felt natural to be with Io because he's Io, but Ryuu really _did_ like girls, too, and someone insinuating that he was faking that to "cover up" his feelings for Io upset him because liking girls was still a part of who he was and he couldn't deny that.

It wasn't like his feelings for Io were the only ones that stirred such a panic inside him. Even with the girls he dated, he couldn't tell them how he felt. He flirted with them, pampered them, told them how beautiful or smart or creative they were, and made them feel special because that's what he was good at and there was something so fulfilling about sweeping a girl off her feet and making her heart flutter with a smile. But when it came to matters of his heart, he still couldn't say the words. His thoughts would race – what if it's a fluke? what should he say? why is this so hard? – and he would start to splutter and his face burned and he couldn't focus and he would suddenly forget everything he ever thought he knew and a grip would tighten around his heart, keeping his feelings under lock even from himself…

It was just easier if he didn't label anything. His dates were mostly casual hangouts anyway. He did the same stuff with Io sometimes. So, rather than trying to put his feelings into words, he found ways to show Io instead. Io understood Ryuu's quirks the way Ryuu understood Io's. Io wasn't really interested in relationships outside of the friendships he already had – he only had them because of Ryuu anyway – which was why he tended to find Ryuu's dating stories only occasionally worth listening to, but he was waiting for Ryuu to take the lead in establishing what he wanted. For the most part, Io was content with whatever made Ryuu happy, so he didn't push Ryuu to define anything… but sometimes he liked to tease Ryuu in return just to get a response out of him and to show that he noticed Ryuu's attempts at expressing his deeper affections. It was their comfortable banter and Ryuu wouldn't give that up for anything.

Every time he thought he couldn't be surprised by it, he was reminded again that he was more than lucky to have someone in his life who understood him without words. Maybe, in a lot of ways, Io was his soulmate.

The idea flustered him momentarily and he realized that he had been staring at the same webpage for the last few minutes. He must have gasped audibly when his eyes finally focused again because Io fidgeted like he hadn't expected the interruption. "Let's take a picture!" Ryuu announced suddenly, phone already in position as he snuggled as close to Io as he could safely get without sitting on him or his laptop, "Smile for the scrapbook, Io~"

Since it was just them, Io dutifully complied while Ryuu snapped the picture and was grinning at his phone like a particularly proud cat. Up until now, Ryuu had been quiet for so long that Io almost thought he'd fallen asleep. Io watched as Ryuu settled back into the world of his phone in satisfaction. This piqued Io's curiosity. It wasn't unlike Ryuu to take pictures on a whim, but he usually had some kind of motivation behind them. As far as Io could tell, neither of them were in the middle of doing anything particularly noteworthy, they weren't in any kind of memorable picture-worthy location, and he also didn't think this was one of those "I'm looking hot" moments either, as Ryuu liked to call them. Which meant Ryuu was up to something.

"What was that about?" he tried asking, but Ryuu shrugged.

"Oh, nothing," the magenta-haired teen waved off the question noncommittally.

Io peeked over at the phone, but Ryuu maneuvered the screen away from him, typing away at the keys. "Are you doing something with it?" he guessed, setting his laptop carefully aside so it wouldn't be in the way.

"Hm? Nothing unusual." Ryuu sounded slightly distracted now.

Io quirked an eyebrow at the response. "Then, why won't you let me see it?"

Ryuu ignored him until Io leaned over him to reach for his phone.

"What? Hey, Io, wait!" Ryuu tried to protest, struggling to hold the phone away from Io's outstretched hand.

"I thought you said it was nothing."

"It is, but –"

"I just want to see it."

"Io!"

"If you won't show me, you leave me no choice." Io gave no warning before he took advantage of Ryuu's weakness and lightly dug his fingers into Ryuu's sides, immediately making his friend jump and squeal in surprise.

"N-no fair! Io!" Ryuu cried out through his breathy laughter, but refusing to give up his prized possession, "Cut it out!"

Io chuckled at the sight of Ryuu trying and failing to remain composed as he curled up on himself defensively. "Give me the phone and I'll stop," he offered a deal, the playful grin on his face growing fonder the more Ryuu fidgeted.

Ryuu had the phone clutched to his chest now, laughing so hard he couldn't get the words out, but still not ready to surrender. Io continued tickling up and down Ryuu's sides, watching the blush on his friend's face darken the longer he held out writhing under Io's assault. One of the few privileged enough to know the extent of Ryuu's ticklishness, even he was aware of Ryuu's limits, so he decided to use his ultimate move and lifted a hand to run a single finger up the back of Ryuu's neck. At the sensitive touch, Ryuu practically keened, his voice reaching the highest pitch Io had ever heard it, but his hands finally loosened their grip on the phone just enough for Io to grab it and officially end the attack.

As the wailing laughter died down, Ryuu slumped against him and attempted to catch his breath. "You're relentless," Ryuu huffed, frustratedly blowing a stray strand of hair that had fallen loose from his headband out of his face and pouting adorably at his friend.

Chuckling fondly, Io leaned closer and pressed the lightest kiss to the tip of Ryuu's nose. "And you, my dear, are stubborn."

Whether it was the adoring way in which Io was looking at him or the action of the kiss itself, Ryuu seemed momentarily flustered. He averted his eyes, pushing his hair back with his hand and grumbling half-heartedly, " _My dear?_ What are you – my grandmother?" Which wasn't entirely a bad thing, considering the love with which Ryuu regarded his caretaker. Really, Io was honored.

He gently pulled Ryuu back into his arms, content to bask in the flush that hadn't really left making itself at home on Ryuu's cheeks for the time being. "You're just sulking because I won." Io held up the pink phone triumphantly.

"Yeah, only because you cheated," Ryuu shot back at him, but there was no heat behind his words as he settled resignedly against Io's chest, his arms crossed for lack of having much else to do with them.

Without further protests from its owner, Io tapped the phone screen to bring it back to life. Unsurprisingly, Ryuu had been on some kind of picture-sharing site to which it seemed he posted frequently. His account was full of various photos – of himself, his friends, his grandmother, and his dates – some of which Io recognized and some he didn't recall having seen before. It was like a timeline of important and interesting people and moments in Ryuu's life, which meant that picture they had just taken together must have meant _something_ beyond a whim.

As Io was pondering this, he noticed a username showing up religiously in the comments of practically every picture alongside smug little taunts like "You call that a selfie?" or "You know, the only way this picture could be popular is if I was in it" and an assortment of passive-aggressive emoticons. Criticisms of his dates were especially disappointing: "You took her to eat _there_?" or "You wear _that_ in public?"

Ryuu also seemed to reply to the comments with equal levels of sass and vigor.

On a selfie Ryuu took with one date, the serial commenter said: "Who is that? Is she your sister?"

To which Ryuu had curiously replied: "That's funny. That's what everyone asks when they see me with you."

And on a family photo, the commenter had sweetly stated: "How cute. You might actually stand a chance with this one."

Ryuu's inevitable explanation was: "That's my grandmother!"

And quite possibly the expected answer to follow: "I know~"

The banter read as all too routined, but rather than dig too much deeper, Io simply pointed to the username and asked, "Who is this?"

Ryuu looked up from where he had been distracting himself by gazing absentmindedly at one of the display screens on the wall. One glimpse at the username, though, and he rolled his eyes disinterestedly. "Oh, that," he stated boredly, "Yeah, that's Gero."

"Gero-kun has an account, too?" Io reflected on that. Considering how vain their classmate was, it was unsurprising that he would be drawn to a camera (or anything with a reflective surface capable of taking in his appearance, for that matter) and any outlet for sharing his image with the world.

"Yeah, somehow he found my account and subscribed to my feed, so now every time I post something, he does _that_ and tries to compete for subscribers and favorites and stuff," Ryuu explained, though since it was those two, Io had to wonder if it went both ways, "It's really annoying, but it's Gero, so I'm not really sure he knows how to act any other way. At least I know he's not just a jerk at school. Also, I'm pretty sure a lot of people only subscribed to us for the drama. It's like they're addicted to it or something."

Io kept scrolling while Ryuu talked, listening to a different version of essentially the same complaints he always heard about Gero-kun and their ridiculous rivalry. Honestly, Io genuinely thought they might be a bit obsessed with each other. Gero-kun clearly enjoyed the attention and Ryuu always worked himself up over finding new ways to explain the so far still rather mysterious root of Gero-kun's animosity towards him. Except, apparently, the thought of Gero-kun possibly harboring some kind of special interest in him was too "gross" to entertain. Io smirked a little at that. Ryuu really couldn't stand Gero-kun that much. Io found it endearingly exasperating sometimes when it didn't straight-up get on his nerves.

His finger froze hovering over the screen as his eyes settled on a photo of what appeared to be a very familiar-looking female. Well, this… was certainly interesting. A strange feeling in his chest alerted him to a notion he was well-acquainted with when it came to the talkative boy next to him. The subject of the picture was clad in a partly unbuttoned top that Io wasn't entirely sure was tasteful or meant to expose as much skin as possible and a skirt that revealed more leg than Io thought was strictly necessary.

"When did you take this?" he asked, noting the rather impressive number of people who had favorited and shared it with their individual followings.

Disturbed from his rant, Ryuu glanced back at his phone again and saw his own dolled up face staring back at him, all confidence and sass. He chuckled nervously at the memory. "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot about that. It was sometime after our trip to that beach," he explained as if it didn't matter, although technically it had been the _day_ they'd returned home, but Io didn't need to know that detail, "Gero posted some weird picture of himself wearing a dress." It had been one of those sundresses that Ryuu had always thought were pretty cute when girls wore them. "And I'm way hotter than him, so I figured I'd show him that, yeah, dresses are cute, but skirts are sexy."

"Is that so?" Io sounded interested, but Ryuu got the idea that they still weren't on the same page. "Isn't it a bit short?"

Ryuu's nerves settled at the typical hilarity of his friend's naive remark and a teasing smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. "The skirt is short on purpose," he offered with a suggestive wink, confidently declaring, "I have pretty amazing legs."

"I suppose so," Io agreed with a deeply concentrated look in his eyes.

Ryuu sat more rigidly at the unenthusiastic response. "What do you mean you suppose so?" he retorted, "Don't think I haven't seen you looking." He reclaimed his phone, happy to have it back in his hands again, but Io was already pulling his laptop towards him and delving back into his work, so Ryuu figured he probably didn't notice. As he settled into a more comfortable position, the socialite resumed his internet browsing, checking idly to see if Gero had noticed his update yet. Gero may have started this war, but if Ryuu couldn't end it, he could at least make sure it wasn't an easy win for his rival.

Io had put aside his financial portfolio for the time being and was instead looking into the success rate of popular trends in the potential market of certain video-sharing sites. Considering both the popularity of Ryuu's cross-dressing photo and the incredible financial success of the Press Society's cosplay calendar photoshoot, he thought he might be onto another profitable idea. Unfortunately, even as he worked, the back of his mind couldn't help returning to more troublesome thoughts. Most prominently, that beach trip.

That place had everyone on edge. Too many surprises in one day had caught them all off guard like some force of nature had been toying with them for its own amusement, so they couldn't help getting a little paranoid at the time. Thinking back on it now, the whole ordeal seemed a little ridiculous. The incident that had eventually resulted in him spending the money to replace his defiled toothbrush had only upset him because, not only was it unsanitary, it was a violation of trust. Sure, maybe he shouldn't have left his toothbrush lying out like he had, but that wasn't an invitation for anyone to pick it up and spread their filth all over it. And then when he'd thought about it, Ryuu's comparison to an indirect kiss had seemed the best analogy to make so that everyone would understand his feelings on the matter. He hadn't meant anything more by it, but then Kinugawa-senpai had started talking about secret crushes and that had never been Io's forte.

That had been the moment when the situation had spiraled successfully out of his control. If he had been less flustered and thinking more clearly, he would have realized just how easily he had disregarded the culprit in favor of some silly notion about kissing. In fact, the culprit had practically admitted their involvement while the others had been too busy pointing the blame at each other. As if the idea of kissing him – even indirectly – was an undesirable thing to admit to. It wasn't like Io spent much of his time contemplating such things, but from what he understood from his friendship with Ryuu, kissing was apparently highly considered a "normal" aspect of a teenager's life. He knew he shouldn't trouble himself by dwelling on it, but perhaps there was just a small part of him that felt discouraged from hearing his friends' thoughts about the matter.

"Would kissing me really be so terrible?" he absentmindedly pondered aloud as he scanned a list of online reviews for various "payment only" video-sharing sites.

Ryuu paused in his biting response to one of Gero's criticisms just long enough to realize what Io was talking about. "Are you still thinking about the toothbrush?" he asked. That seemed the most likely guess. He _had_ brought up their trip to the beach before and Io's mind had a way of latching onto things. Besides, that was the only way he could imagine Io even giving kissing a second thought, since it was only profitable in indecent circumstances unless for some reason he was entertaining the idea of a kissing booth or date-pimping.

"Of course not," was Io's hasty retort, "There is only one of us who would be so bold, anyway." That was true. There had been no mysterious molester and, in fact, it really should have been obvious. "I was just curious."

Ryuu huffed a little sigh at that. They'd been friends long enough for Ryuu to see through Io's dismissive demeanor and pick out the undertone in his voice that meant he was more than curious – he was _bothered_ by it. Quickly finishing and sending his last remark to Gero, Ryuu shut off his phone (or at least the screen so it wouldn't distract him), set it down, and turned to face his green-haired companion and offer his full attention. He sat like that with his eyes downcast for a moment, awkwardly playing with his hands as he wrestled over the proper words.

"You know, if I wanted to kiss you, I wouldn't have to sneak one. I wouldn't even do that to any of the girls I've dated either," he insisted, "It's like cheating."

Even getting that much out didn't make this any easier for him. He couldn't look at Io and he could tell Io wasn't looking at him either, but he felt like he needed to make that clear because, contrary to what everyone must think (and he _knew_ they suspected him of it), he had integrity. And what kind of reputation would that leave him if he pulled an underhanded stunt like that? Ryuu had been watching Io's fingers on the keyboard instead of attempting eye contact, but they were still now, which reassured him that at least his words were being heard.

"I mean, it's not like you're unattractive… or unkissable," he clarified and then grudgingly added, "Hell, I'm pretty sure Gero would kiss you." His face scrunched up in immediate distaste at the idea of Gero anywhere near either of them with his pretty little mouth.

"Would _you_ kiss me?" Io asked quietly, the question startling its recipient.

Ryuu reflexively looked up, wide brown eyes meeting curious purple ones that sent his mind reeling. He couldn't tell if that was an invitation or a plea for reassurance that Io was desirable… or possibly both. And furthermore, he was stuck processing the thought that the answer could be – was – yes. "Do you want me to kiss you?" he voiced instead because that answer was just as important as his own.

Io smiled softly at him. "If I had to be kissed by anyone, I wouldn't mind if it was you," he said as if he'd put a great deal of thought into it even though it didn't sound like he had hesitated. Not many people would have taken that for the meaningful statement that it was because not many people knew Io, but it made Ryuu swell with… something. Pride, maybe, but his heart was the part of him that was reacting.

Ryuu tried not to notice the heat thrumming at the tips of his ears. "You're not teasing me again, are you?" he chuckled, finding himself oddly embarrassed. He was suddenly struck with the impulsive need to avoid visual contact again, to seek answers or reassurance from the grey walls of Io's bedroom, all at once starting to feel like the universe was trying to look inside him and pick him apart. This always happened. Every time they would stray from the safety of casual unquestioned affection and get serious, he felt incapable of stating what he wanted. What was the point of asking for something if you weren't prepared to lose it?

Io touched a firm but gentle finger to Ryuu's chin to stop him from turning his face away. "You haven't answered my question yet," Io reminded him.

Ryuu closed his eyes, hoping maybe to calm himself enough to force out the words he would regret not saying later, but all it did was leave him alone with his frantic thoughts. Io had a way of flustering him. He nodded once, his throat uncomfortably tight around his vocal chords.

"Ryuu."

His eyes snapped open at the sound of his name and the barely masked earnestness with which it was spoken, but it was the comfort in Io's hopeful gaze that finally opened the passage for thoughts to become words. "Well, yeah," he spluttered, regaining a bit of his usual bravado, "What? You think you aren't good enough for my lips or something? I bet _all_ those guys back at school would kiss you if they got the chance."

Io laughed at the pout that had formed on Ryuu's face, his pleased smile expressing just how much hearing the vocalized confirmation had helped ease his mind. "Then it's a good thing that I don't want any of them to kiss me."

He started to pull his hand away from Ryuu's face like that was it, all he'd wanted to know, but Ryuu reached out to grab it and keep his attention for just a little longer. No way Io was getting let off the hook so easily. Not after that.

"You really want me to kiss you, don't you?" When Io reacted a little sheepishly, Ryuu knew he'd recovered enough of his momentum to take back control of the situation. "You do!" He poked his friend encouragingly in the side. "Come on, Io, admit it," he pressed despite Io's half-hearted attempts to push him away, "I'm irresistible and you want my sweet kisses~" He puckered his lips ridiculously and broke off into a laugh when Io elbowed him playfully before Ryuu could lean any closer to him.

"Okay, yes," Io conceded warmly. In fact, he had often found himself wanting to invest more and more of himself, his time, and his love into Ryuu. "But not if you aren't interested," he explained. He was fine with what they had between them now as long as it was what Ryuu wanted. If Ryuu wanted to bring their relationship to a more physical point, Io was certainly open to the idea, but he could more than get by without it. Ryuu was always the exception to Io's rule. And it was Ryuu's happiness that made him happy.

The magenta-haired boy sighed fondly at the remark. "Come here." He placed his hands delicately on either side of Io's face and guided his friend forward to meet him in a gentle peck, smile pressed against smile, a comfort, a reminder. Ryuu knew Io worried about being seen for his money and his business-like exterior instead of as the teenager he was. That concern manifested itself in a number of seemingly small ways. And that's why it was Ryuu's job to remind him to _act_ like a teenager sometimes.

"Now, you don't have to worry," he said once he'd released Io from his hold, brushing his fingertips lightly over Io's skin.

As the two of them stared into each other's eyes, temporarily lost in what they found there, Io grasped Ryuu's hands in his own. "Ryuu…" The atmosphere in the room shifted immediately to something infinitely more intimate.

"Io?" The weight of Io's meaningful tone gave Ryuu the impression that what he was about to say was extremely important.

"I have been doing the necessary calculations and I feel like I have had a substantial amount of time to think this through," he began earnestly, "In light of recent data, I need to ask you a very serious question."

Ryuu felt himself hold his breath as Io paused to gauge his reaction. Whatever it was Io wanted to say, Ryuu realized he wasn't scared. He trusted Io to take care of him.

A look of determination illuminated Io's features as he announced, "How would you feel about dressing up in costumes and letting me film you for an online video project?"

He sounded so fervent about it that Ryuu didn't react for a moment until he released his breath and it came out in a surprised laugh.

"This is nothing to laugh at, Ryuu," Io chastised him, "There is a veritable market for this. Think of the profits."

Despite or maybe it was because of the perplexed and somewhat concerned scowl on Io's face, Ryuu laughed until he was doubled over with tears streaming from his eyes. That was so much like his fiscally-focused friend, he really should have expected it.

Later, when the two of them were curled up by each other's side for the night, electronics all but forgotten, Ryuu would ask, "Should we tell the others?" Io would give him a quizzical look, so he would clarify, "About Wombat, I mean."

And after giving it some consideration, Io would thoughtfully reply, "Yumoto wouldn't understand it, and Kinugawa-senpai and Yufuin-senpai are intelligent enough to figure it out on their own."

And that would be that.

 **(A/N 2) I suck at endings, shut up. It started out silly and it was originally going someplace fluffy and cute, but then it turned into a bit of a reflection piece and – I don't know – maybe there are some feels in there, too. I forget when I actually started writing this, but I think it might have been as far back as the premiere of episode 9 or 10 when I first got the idea for it. I hadn't intended for this story to be this serious. I'd just wanted to write some mindless fluff to ease myself back into writing fanfiction again.**

 **So, I'd started writing the beginning part about all the glorious innuendos because some part of me wonders how the boys would react to that. But at the time, I had wanted to wait to see how the season ended in case it revealed anymore about the character dynamics and whatnot before I continued writing what was supposed to be a short piece of fluff. And now look what it's turned into.**

 **Some parts of this sort of took on a life of their own and I didn't know how to fix it to make it flow the way I wanted it to, so I hope it's okay that I left it the way it is. I wrote most of this in the wee hours of the morning when it's quiet and my brain is at its most creative and the world doesn't expect much of me, so that may have something to do with it. Also, some parts turned out surprisingly better than I'd intended them to and there are a few good lines here and there, so I guess there's that.**

 **Thank you for taking the time to read all this. I hope the fic was worth your time and I hope you're not bothered by my incessant rambling.**

 **The idea for the picture blogging thing sort of was inspired by this Tumblr post:** crazy-grrrl-on-the-computer (d0t) tumblr (d0t) com /post/112671241630/what-if-our-loveable-magical-boys-got-their-own

 **And the line "The skirt is short on purpose" from this sentence prompt post inspired that whole scene:** crazy-grrrl-on-the-computer (d0t) tumblr (d0t) com /post/116975228000/ridiculous-sentence-prompts

 **Also, there was a line in the IoRyuu route of the otome game where the protag has the option to say what type of gift she wants to give them as a thank you. And if you choose to have her say it's a gift of "substance", she says that it's like cosplay. Ryuu comments that he'd look good in anything and then Io the pimp casually states that as long as he can make some money from posting a video of Ryuu wearing it online he'd even lend the protag a hand. And I just… Io, what type of outfit were you expecting to receive?! Well, I'm sorry. But that kinda wormed its way into this fic, too. Here's the chapter the scene is from (it's about halfway through):** intra-fiducia (d0t) tumblr (d0t) com /post/119610054039/binan-koukou-chikyuu-bouei-bu-love-game-naruko


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